Green driving is great for the environment, but generally lousy for enthusiasts. One exception is the MINI E. As of this writing, production isn’t a go, but the initial public field trial is, so you’d better buddy up to one of the 500 participants in Los Angeles or New York. They’re putting electric MINI Cooper prototypes through their paces and keeping BMW up to speed on their experiences. The MINI E isn’t touted as the one car for everyone’s needs, especially since performance and range leave a lot to be desired. However, for style- and earth-conscious enthusiasts, it’s a start.

If you’re familiar with the standard MINI Cooper, performance of the MINI E won’t be much of a leap. The trademark handling is still evident, if altered. Regenerative braking is set aggressively, so coasting in front of a tailgater could get ugly. You’ll get to 60 mph from a standstill in 8.5 seconds, and top out around 95 mph. The latter figure is theoretical to anyone living in the test markets (except New York cab drivers), but it’s good to know the MINI E won’t fizzle on the rare stretch of open road. That’s provided the open road doesn’t beckon a round-trip of more than 120 miles. That’s about all you can expect after a night plugged into the BMW-supplied charger in your garage. And since the reliability of the battery isn’t known, you can only lease the MINI E for a year before it goes bye-bye.

Unlike the performance of the MINI E, the look of the MINI E is less removed from the gas-burners. There’s no convertible or Clubman offered, only the regular hatch. And it only comes in one color scheme: silver body and roof with “Interchange Yellow” mirrors and MINI E logos. It’s immediately recognizable as a unique edition without being too in-your-face. What was once the gas-cap door now opens to the recharge port. That’s about all that externally gives away this (possible) MINI of tomorrow.

Inside, modifications are more noticeable. For one, there’s seating for two, not four (though it’s debatable there ever was). The back seat was sacrificed for battery space; a small area remains between lump and hatch for a few grocery bags. Remember the wheel-mounted tach? It’s gone, replaced by the “Chargeometer,” displaying the percentage of battery life remaining. Still very MINI-esque, only now it’s MINI-E-sque.